Global: pray during Covid-19
07 Jan 2021
Nations face a resurgence of infections. May God bring comfort to those who have lost loved ones, giving them His peace that surpasses all understanding in 2021. Evolving and alarming headlines fuel worldwide uncertainty and rampant fear. Pray for the media to report facts and refrain from declaring their opinions loosely based on truths. Pray for the immunisation programmes to bring peace of mind as well as protection from the pandemic. May God inspire churches across the nations as they speak and bring hope to their congregations and communities. Pray also for the scientists to be anointed by God with wise skillful intervention to avoid further Covid mutations. May He give supernatural strength of spirit, mind and body to those working tirelessly to care for the sick, and miraculously work healing through them. Pray for all who have had ‘normal life’ replaced with quarantines, lockdowns and border closures.
Nigeria: ‘No evil will take away our faith’
07 Jan 2021
A Christmas Eve attack by Boko Haram which left at least eleven dead and two church buildings razed to the ground prompted Nigerian bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri to issue a rallying cry, insisting Islamist violence is doomed to failure. Bishop Oliver said he was undaunted by the attack in Pemi, near Chibok, where over 270 mostly Christian schoolgirls had been kidnapped in 2016. Speaking after the attack, in which a priest was abducted, he said, ‘One thing that Boko Haram will never take from us is our faith. We will never allow our faith to be taken away by any evil. Our faith is becoming stronger and stronger. 100 people were baptised in one parish on Christmas Eve. People are so committed.’ The Bishop said that Boko Haram’s actions were in fact strengthening the Christian faith; his diocese has more Catholics than when there was no Boko Haram crisis.
Pakistan: arrested for Facebook post
07 Jan 2021
Raja Waris, a 25-year-old Christian lay reader, is in police custody in Lahore after he shared another person’s post critical of Islam on his Facebook page. Raja apologised to the Muslims in person, saying he had shared the post for academic understanding between Christians and Muslims and did not mean to offend any Muslims, and the issue appeared to be resolved. But then a huge mob gathered demanding his beheading. Fearing violence, hundreds of Christian residents fled their homes while around 400 anti-riot policemen were deployed to the area to thwart violence. When local church elders were taken to the police station, a large mob gathered outside, chanting slogans against Christians. Negotiations failed, and Raja was hiding due to threats to his life. Mob leaders only called off the siege after he was held under blasphemy laws that call for up to ten years in prison. He and his family are currently in a safe house for their security.
Yemen: explosion rocks peace efforts
07 Jan 2021
As Yemen prepares to move forward with a power-sharing government, two explosions at Aden airport were designed to annihilate the new government officials disembarking from their plane. Saudi Arabia had brokered a peace deal between Houthi rebels (controlling much of northern Yemen) and the Yemeni government. The explosions also threatened the UN effort for a nationwide cease-fire to prevent the coronavirus spreading. It did not injure any of the new cabinet, but killed 26 people and injured 50 more; the death toll is expected to climb as more victims succumb to their injuries. The government had just forged an alliance with southern separatists. This latest attack threatens a very tenuous situation plagued by years of war and hunger. An explosion was also heard at the presidential palace where cabinet members, the prime minister, and the Saudi ambassador had been taken for safety. Pray for officials to apprehend all those responsible, and for a successful resolution of the conflict between the Hadi government and Houthi rebels.
USA: honouring Covid victims
07 Jan 2021
Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors is encouraging people to share photos, artwork, a prayer, or a meditation for loved ones lost to Covid-19, as part of a project to honour people dying of the disease and their families. A dairy market has been transformed into a gallery and event space. Participants use the #PrayforLA hashtag. Patrisse announced the initiative through an Instagram video on 2 January. He said that as Latino and Black residents are disproportionately impacted by Covid, the government should do more to help people financially.
Gathering the Church for 2021
Join a “Global Upper Room” event 12/31 all day into the new year as IHOPKC and leaders in the Body of Christ from every time zone across the globe join together to conclude the year and usher in 2021 with a strong shout of praise, thanksgiving, humble confession, prophetic prayer, and bold declaration.
From Oceania across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and spanning North and South America, we envision 24 hours of non-stop worship and intercession connected by technology in a ceaseless program of coordinated prayer.
At the same time, we are urging thousands of groups to coordinate their own communities for two to six hours on New Year’s Eve leading up to midnight that we may usher in New Year’s Day around the world with our hearts postured in unity, humility, and faith. We want to thank God for His leadership of history and enter the new year with expectation for mighty moves of the Holy Spirit in our day in every nation.
Let us re-enact Acts 1:12–14 unto Act 2 and Acts 4.
From the Chinese church in Taiwan to the intercessions of Herrnhut, Germany, and its Moravian Lampstand, the International House of Prayer in Kansas City wants to serve the Body of Christ with a historic moment of prayer and harvest that spans every time zone.
More info, livestream and sign up HERE
Ahead of the January edition of the monthly IPC Connections email, we would like to bring to your attention three significant prayer initiatives that are happening this next 24 hours – that we would not want you to miss!
The first is a major partnership between many ministries around the world in a Global Family 24/7 Prayer Room, that launches at 16:00HRS Jerusalem time on New Year’s Day.
As we are writing this, the sun is rising in the East and lots of people are praying in the new year as part of the New Year’s Day Sunrise Prayer Relay. It is not too late for many of us to take part!
Many ministries including IPC are joining with our friends at IHOP Kansas for their Global Upper Room which aims to conclude the current year and usher in 2021 with a strong shout of praise, thanksgiving, humble confession, prophetic prayer, and bold declaration.
Details of each of these projects follow below.
We would wish all of our partners in prayer every blessing for the year ahead.
Dr Jason Hubbard – Director
International Prayer Connect
http://www.ipcprayer.org
January 1st 2021 marks the launch of the ‘Global Family’ Online 24/7 Prayer initiative that aims to unite nations, denominations and generations in a year of continuous prayer and worship.
Gifted Prayer leaders and worship teams from every continent will be leading the 168 hourly ‘Zoom’ sessions each week in several languages. The meetings will be accessible to anyone, anywhere with an internet connection.
The project was founded by Dr Jason Hubbard (www.ipcprayer.org) and Jonathan Friz (www.10days.net) in 2020 along with a dedicated, multi-skilled team representing many different ministries and networks from around the world.
Jonathan Friz said "The ability to pray together as the global church in the same space is brand new - for the first time in history we can approximate the sound of that great multitude gathered before the throne from every nation and language, declaring "Salvation belongs to our God, and to the Lamb!""
"We would invite individuals, groups, Churches, ministries, anyone! - who shares our vision to join us, whether it’s for a short while or for many hours each week, in the presence of God, alongside fellow-believers from across the world. "
Launch Service…
The Global Family 24-7-365 will begin January 1st 2021 at 16:00 Jerusalem time, 8 AM CST, 2 PM GMT. The launch will include a two hour special “church” service. The first full hour will be focused on coming together as a Global Family and praying together. The second hour will be a teaching hour. After the church service ends, regular facilitated hourly sessions will begin.
Praying for the Unreached…
One of the primary focuses of the Global Family will be prayers for the unreached. Jason Hubbard said “We are convinced that the Crux of the Great Commission and the reaching of every person by 2030 in the Go Decade needs to especially focus on the Unreached People Groups. They are the ethne of Matthew 28, of which there are about 5000 such people groups still separated by language and culture with an average of only one believer per thousand. They need cross-cultural efforts integrated with focused, ongoing prayer to see indigenous gospel movements established in them.”
“As the church worldwide continues to work together to mobilize prayer and targeted mission efforts, it will be possible with the Lord’s supernatural help to see bible based, Christ exalting, Spirit-led churches planted in each one of these people groups by 2030! Let’s Go and Count to Zero!”
Prayer Leader Opportunity…
There are 50 or so hourly sessions available to would-be leaders in the weekly schedule as we go to press, and they are steadily being filled. Prayer Leaders who would like to find out more about taking part are invited to visit the Leaders page on the website.
"The Father has a plan to answer Jesus' prayer in John 17,” said Jonathan. “ Prayer meetings like this that bring the family together in the presence of the Holy Spirit are a key part of His plan. When the family comes together to glorify Jesus, the Father loves to pour out His glory on us all. Make no mistake, Jesus gets what He prays for!"
How to join…
To join the Global Family 24-7 Prayer Room, please register HERE. The meetings are all accessed through an online ticketing system, apart from the launch service which will be also be live-streamed.
More at: http://globalfamily24-7prayer.org/